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Responsive Web Design – Is It Time to Redesign or Upgrade Your Website?

June 1st, 2014 by Shawn Kerr

Responsive web design remains a growing trend of discussion for internet marketing firms and their clients in 2014. In this article we will will look at the what, why and when of Responsive Web Design so that you can make an informed decision about your website marketing efforts.

What Is Responsive Web Design?

Put simply, Responsive Web Design (RWD) is a website design technique that allows a website’s design to be optimized for all internet-enabled devices, from mobile phones to tablets, laptop an desktop computers.

Why Do I Need a Responsive Web Design?

It may just look like fancy design work, but there are important reasons to make a Responsive Web Design a part of your internet marketing strategy.

Google Recommends Responsive Web Design

We all know by now that Google recommendations require serious consideration by anyone wanting to maintain or improve visibility in its search query results. The Google Developers section on Webmasters Building Smartphone-Optimized Websites specifically recommends Responsive Web Design as Google’s preferred method of rendering web pages.

Based on that fact alone, it’s not a matter of if, but when you should have a responsive web design on your website.

Responsive Websites Are Both Visitor and Search Engine Friendly

Responsive web design code is built HTML5 and CSS3, which also speeds up load times and is a factor in search engine rank.

Website visitors benefit from easier navigation and the best possible view for content no matter how they access it.

When Should I Get a Responsive Web Design?

When do you need to have a Responsive Web Design? It largely depends on your current ability to serve visitors using mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.

There are plenty of web designers who will say “now” when asked, no matter who’s asking, but that’s a bit simplistic. Certainly any business using a website for marketing purposes wants to keep up with emerging developments. Even so, there’s no reason to panic or make a rushed decision. Answer these questions to learn whether or not you need a Responsive Web Design redesign or an upgrade for your existing website, and how to get it:

Is your current website more than 4 years old?

If yes, you will want to consider a full redesign of your website and should invest in a complete website redesign using responsive web design. Contact us for a quote.

If no, please read on…

If your current website is less than 4 years old, does it have a mobile-specific version?

By “mobile specific version” I mean does it display a version of your website that is compatible with mobile devices and held in a subdomain or subdirectory such as m.mysite.com or mysite.com/mobile and is able to display custom content. For example, many of our clients have our mobile website solution we offer for WordPress sites.

If yes, you will then need to answer the following:

Are you willing and able to use your mobile site effectively (and separately from) your main website?

When you have a mobile-specific version of your website in a subdomain or subdirectory such as m.mysite.com or mysite.com/mobile, you should maintain its content separately from that of your website. Keep the text concise to reduce the need for vertical scrolling. Run mobile-only specials, etc. Doing so takes advantage of the strengths of having two websites.

If you answered “yes,” then a redesign using Responsive Web Design should be put on your long-term (year or so) calendar.

If you answered “no,” then you should get in touch with us soon and we will help you determine whether a redesign or upgrade of your current website using Responsive Web Design is the best option.

Recent Responsive Web Designs from InsideOut Solutions

You can see the end result of our responsive web design services by going to the following websites on a desktop/laptop computer and resizing the web browser window narrower. You will see as you make the window narrower and narrower that the website adapts its layout, images and content to be optimal for the browser width.

While you look at these sites, be sure to scroll down the page and you’ll see that the navigation menu travels down with you. This “sticky” navigation comes standard with new responsive designs and upgrades.

Recent Responsive Redesigns

The following clients had older websites and were in need of completely new websites. All new websites designed by InsideOut Solutions use Responsive Web Design.

Are You Ready for a Responsive Web Design or Just Want to Know More?

We invite you to contact InsideOut Solutions today to discuss the internet marketing effectiveness of your website and determine whether you should wait, upgrade or redesign your website. Just give us a call at 1-800-500-8401 or use the form on our Contact Us page to get started.